Dishwasher with top loading utensil compartment

ABSTRACT

A cutlery basket being mounted in the washing chamber of a dishwasher for easy access through an auxiliary top opening door hinged to the dishwasher worktop whereby the auxiliary door may be raised without opening the main front door for storing and washing silverware or the like. The top auxiliary door structure provides for cooperative locking and sealing with the main door such that either door may be opened and closed independently of the remaining door.

United States Patent [1 1 Jacobs DISHWASHER WITH TOP LOADING UTENSIL COMPARTMENT [75] Inventor: James W. Jacobs, Dayton, Ohio [73] Assignee: General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich.

[22] Filed: Nov. 12, 1971 [21] App]. No.: 198,135

[52] US. Cl. ..l34/l83, 134/200, 312/290 [51] Int. Cl. ..B08b 3/02 [58]" Field of Search 1 34/183, 200;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,884,181 1 10/1932 Pauly ..l34/l83 X 2,722,807 11/1955 Downingm. ..312/29O UX 3,192,935 7/1965 Hanifan ..3 12/290 X 3,224,914 12/1965 Benton et a1. ..l34/l83 X [451 Apr. 17, 1973 2/1967 Hauser ..134/200X 9/1969 Mercer ..134/l83X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATIONS France .j.....312/290 Great Britain ..3 12 290 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Bleutge Attorney-William S. Pettigrew et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A cutlery basket being mounted in the washing chamber of a dishwasher for easy access through an auxiliary top opening door hinged to the dishwasher worktop whereby the auxiliary door may be raised without opening the main front door for storing and washing silverware or the like. The top auxiliary door structure provides for cooperative locking and sealing with the main door such that either door may be opened and closed independently of the remaining door.

4 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] APR 1 71973 snmaofz A T TOf-PNEY DISHWASHER WITH TOP LOADING UTENSIL COMPARTMENT This inventionrelates to dishwashers and more par sticularly to dishwasher cabinets having a top auxiliary ,door for ready access to a wash basket for washing and storing silverware or similar type utensils.

cleansed by suitable rotating spray tubes or arms. This frequently results, however, in the silverware being bunched up in a manner to preclude the complete coverage of the silverware by the cleansing spray and requires the removal of the silverware by grasping or touching the implement end of the utensils which must be directed upwardly to insure their proper cleaning.

Accordingly, one of the objects of this invention is to utilize the space adjacent the interior upper wall of the cabinet for the storage and cleaning of silverware. To

effect this the worktop is provided with a hinged flush top door which operates with the front loading main door for cooperative locking and sealing therebetween while providing a top accessible basket for the washing, drying and storing of cutlery while permitting the operator to readily remove the basket from the dish washer.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dishwasher having a downwardly hinged front access main door cooperating with an upwardly hinged top door having a commonlatching arrangement holding either door to .be used independently of the remaining door, and wherein a utensil basket is supported from a common mullion formed at the junction between the doors with the .mullion providing cooperative sealing therebetween for the washing and storage of silverware and the like.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

' FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section ofa dishwasher cabinet embodying the present invention;

' FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a cutlery washing and storage compartment showing the-auxiliary top door in its elevated position;

FIG. .3 is a top plan view of the dishwasher showing the front andtop doorsin closed and latched position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing the top door in closed position.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FlG. l, a domestic dishwasher is shown composed of casing 12 enclosing a dishwashing chamber 14. The

being incorporated herein by reference.

In general, the water distribution system includes a revolving spray arm 23 located beneath a lower utensil support rack 24 and a rotating spray column or tower 26 fixed to the spray arm and extending upwardly through a guard portion 27 of the lower rack permitting the removal of the lower rack from the dishwashing chamber. The spray column 26, shown in detail in commonly assigned US. Pat. No. 3,292,645 issued Dec..20, 1966 to Braden et al., is formed with enlarged bulbous housing or header portion 28 having spray ports 29 and the top thereof having an upper spray nozzle or outlet 30, aimed through an open passageway or. guard 31 formed by a central water network of an upper utensil support rack 32.The reaction effect of water spray from the spray arm ports 33 will cause the water distribution means, including the spray arm and spray column, to rotate. Water pressure will fill the interior of the spray column 26 throughout so that spray jets issuing from the ports 29 and 34 on the header 28 will be directed upwardly and downwardly respectively toward the dishes in the upper and lower racks. A jet stream from the central nozzle is aimed through the guard 31 in the top rack at a rotable and freely rotating swirl spray impeller or plate water deflector 35 located on the casing upper wall 36 the details of which are shown in the Braden et al. US. Pat. No. 3,229,645.

A suitable heating element 37 is located in the dish washing chamber below i the rack 24 to provide recovery heat to the wash and rinse water for supplying heat to the utensils in the racks during the drying cycle. Rollers 38 and 39, preferably manufactured of nylon, are provided to allow easy movement of the racks 24 and 32 respectively in and out of the dish washing chamber during loading and unloading thereof on suitable guides 40 and 42. The dishwasher cabinet is shown having a separate top or wood chopping block when the appliance is portable or for installation under a counter wherein the top .50 would represent a portion of the counter top.

In accordance with the invention the wood top 50 has a second access opening 52 (FIG. 3) formed therein providing ready access to a support basket 54, supported in a substantially horizontal manner at a level immediately below an auxiliary door 58, designed for the washing and storage of cutlery such as silverware and kitchen utensils. The access opening 52 is closed by a rear folding top auxiliary door 58 pivotally hinged upon the transverse edge 59 of the cabinet top opening 52 by a suitable flush hinge arrangement 62, such that when the top door 58 is in closed position (FIG. 1) the upper surface of the door forms an extension of the upper surface 63 of top 50. The hinge 62 is preferably spring balanced for maintaining the top door 58 in a partial raised position, shown in FIG. 2, when in its unlatched condition. The basket 54 is removably supported adjacent edge 59 by means of a rear transverse rod member 66 which is supported at its free ends on offset opposed side tabs 68 and forwardly directed central tab 69 preferably formed integral with and struck from the upper wall 36 of the dishwashing chamber.

As seen in FIG. 4, basket 54 is generally rectangular in plan and positioned with its top opening substantially flush with the bottom face 72 of the top 50. The basket 54 includes a first group of straight, parallel cross bars 74 of upright U-shape which are longitudinally spaced from each other. The rearmost cross bars 75 terminate at their ends in inverted V-shaped foot portions 76 which merge into the upper ends of laterally inwardly and upwardly convergent straight legs 78. The cross bars 75 are shown elevated relative to bars 74 to allow the operator to readily grasp the handle ends of cutlery 79 without interference with a second group of intermediate longitudinal wire members 80 extending at right angles to the first cross group 74 in parallel spaced relation and are welded at the points of intersection so as to form an open framework supporting base. The intermediate members 80 are generally L-shaped with a relatively long straight bar 82 inclined downwardly from the front to the back of the basket to intersect at right angles with a relatively short straight bar 83 completing the L-shape. The forward part of the inclined legs 82 are curved or bent upwardly at 84 and thence forwardly as at extension 85 to form a front engaging portion. A pair of basket side members 86 have a triangular loop configuration, as seen in FIG. 4 with the horizontal straight wire members 88 closing the triangle so as to define the upper opening of the basket. The rear rod member 66 is welded to the upper ends of the short bars 83 while transverse wires 92 are welded to the short bars 83 to provide a barrier at the rear of the basket to prevent the cutlery 79 from sliding out of the basket. The fact that the basket base is inclined downwardly serves to properly gravitationally position the cutlery therein for proper washing action to be described and to facilitate the drying thereof by causing water to readily drain-off the cutlery.

The front opening of the appliance is defined in part by a horizontal mullion 100 including a gasket 102 The mullion 100 extends entirely across the top front of the dishwashing chamber along the line of juncture between the main door 16 and auxiliary door 50 so that when the main door 16 is moved upwardly to closed position its upper surface 104 engages the gasket 102 and prevents the escape of liquid from the chamber during the washing operation. The gasket 102 is suitably mounted on mullion 100 whose upper C- shaped portion 108 formed with a downwardly offset horizontal ledge 110 for supporting the front extension 85 of the basket. A downwardly directed stem portion 111 of the mullion 100 is suitably bonded to the upper gasket member 102.

At the top of the main door 16 there is secured by a suitable means, such as pivot pin 112, a latch member 114. The latch 114 extends upwardly from the door through a suitable opening 1 16 in the door upper flange 118. The latch 114 includes a hook portion 119 for cooperation with a U-shaped metal catch 120 fixedly secured to the front edge of the auxiliary door 58 such that the catch is adapted to be engaged by the latch to retain the auxiliary door in its closed position as seen in FIG. 1. The latch 114 is pivoted at 112 and has spring means (not shown) to bias the latch in a clockwise locking direction shown in FIG. 2. The hook portion 119 will therefore tend to remain biased toward the right and is provided with an inclined face so that the catch 120 may slide over and rotate the latch in a counterclockwise manner so as to engage the same when the main and auxiliary doors are slammed shut with the sealing strip 126 mating with the upper surface of the mullion in a watertight manner. Either door may be opened by depressing a button 121 and pulling the main door 16 outwardly by means of handle 122 or lifting auxiliary door 58 by means of its handle 123.

The top auxiliary door 58 as disclosed has a peripheral sealing strip 126 with a magnetic core 128 molded therein for mating in a sealed relationship with U-shaped peripheral flange 130. It will thus be seen that a latching and sealing arrangement is provided to latch the main front door to the top auxiliary door and such that the pivoting latch provides convenient manual opening of either door independently of the other door by the operator.

The undersurface of the auxiliary door 58 has a dome like surface indicated at 129 and covered with a conforming deflector 134. As a result of this arrangement the eccentric or offset jet of water from the spray tower port 29 will be directed up in a substantially cone-shape spray pattern as indicated by the arrows across the utensils in basket 54. The dome-like deflector 134 deflects the water indicated at 136 across the top of the utensils and is diffused by fixed annular baffles 138 located on deflector 134 to cause the spray to be directed downwardly onto the utensils in the basket 54. Also, a central jet from the tower nozzle 30 may pass up in a substantially vertical direction through the upper rack caused to engage a rotatable water deflector wheel 35 such that a diffused water spray will be directed at substantially right angles toward the basket to assist in the cleaning of the cutlery therein.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

1 claim:

1. A dishwasher comprising in combination, structure providing rear, side, and top walls defining a substantially rectangular dishwasher cabinet having a boxshaped open front chamber therein, spray means for distributing water in said chamber for washing dishes'or the like, said cabinet having a first access opening in the front wall thereof, a front main door pivotally connected adjacent its lower edge to said cabinet for closing said first opening, said first opening defined in part by a vertical main door jamb, said cabinet having a second access opening subtending a front portion of said top wall of said cabinet, a top auxiliary door pivotally connected adjacent its rear edge to said cabinet for closing said second access opening, a common horizontal mullion positioned adjacent the line of juncture between the upper peripheral edge of said main door and the front peripheral edge of said auxiliary door for sealingly engaging said doors in their closed position, said second access opening including horizontal door jamb for supporting said auxiliary door in alignment with said cabinet top wall, latching means for releasably coupling the main door to said auxiliary door when said doors are in closed position, means on said horizontal jamb for removably supporting an open top perforated utensil basket thereon below said auxiliary door and within said chamber so as to effect cleansing by said spray means of the utensils therein, the utensils supported in said basket with their handles projecting toward said common mullion whereby when the utensils are removed they will be grasped by the server at their handles to insure sterile handling of the utensils.

2. A dishwasher comprising in combination, structure providing rear, side, and top walls defining a substantially rectangular dishwasher cabinet having a boxshaped open front chamber therein, spray means for distributing water in said chamber for washing dishes or the like, said cabinet having a first access opening in the front wall thereof, a front main door pivotally hinged adjacent its lower edge to said cabinet for closing said first opening, said first opening defined in part by a vertical main door jamb, said cabinet having a second access opening subtending a front portion of said top wall of saidcabinet, a top auxiliary door pivotally hinged adjacent its rear edge to said cabinet for closing said second access opening, a common horizontal mullion positioned along the line ofjuncture between the upper peripheral edge of said main door and the front peripheral edge of said auxiliary door, the front face of said common mullion forming the upper horizontal jamb for said front main door and the upper face of said mullion forming an outer horizontal jamb for said auxiliary top door, said second access opening having a U-shaped peripheral face cooperating with said mullion to define a rectangular horizontal auxiliary doorjamb, latch means on said main door operative for engaging cooperative catch means on said auxiliary door whereby either door may be opened and closed in a sealed manner independently of the remaining door, means on said horizontal jamb for removably supporting an open top utensil wire basket thereon in a substantially horizontal manner at a level immediately below said auxiliary doorand within said chamber so as to effect cleansing by said spray means of the utensils therein, the utensils supported in said basket with their handles projecting toward the common mullion whereby when the utensils are removed they will be grasped by the server at their handles to insure sterile handling of the utensils.

3. The dishwasher structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary door undersurface has a domelike surface including annular baffles located thereon to cause a portion of' the spray means impinging thereon to be redirected downwardly onto the utensils in said basket.

4. The dishwasher structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said basket is a wire basket whose base is inclined inwardly and downwardly toward the center of said chamber to position the utensils therein for proper washing action by said spray means. 

1. A dishwasher comprising in combination, structure providing rear, side, and top walls defining a substantially rectangular dishwasher cabinet having a box-shaped open front chamber therein, spray means for distributing water in said chamber for washing dishes or the like, said cabinet having a first access opening in the front wall thereof, a front main door pivotally connected adjacent its lower edge to said cabinet for closing said first opening, said first opening defined in part by a vertical main door jamb, said cabinet having a second access opening subtending a front portion of said top wall of said cabinet, a top auxiliary door pivotally connected adjacent its rear edge to said cabinet for closing said second access opening, a common horizontal mullion positioned adjacent the line of juncture between the upper peripheral edge of said main door and the front peripheral edge of said auxiliary door for sealingly engaging said doors in their closed position, said second access opening including horizontal door jamb for supporting said auxiliary door in alignment with said cabinet top wall, latching means for releasably coupling the main door to said auxiliary door when said doors are in closed position, means on said horizontal jamb for removably supporting an open top perforated utensil basket thereon below said auxiliary door and within said chamber so as to effect cleansing by said spray means of the utensils therein, the utensils supported in said basket with their handles projecting toward said common mullion whereby when the utensils are removed they will be grasped by the server at their handles to insure sterile handling of the utensils.
 2. A dishwasher comprising in combination, structure providing rear, side, and top walls defining a substantially rectangular dishwasher cabinet having a box-shaped open front chamber therein, spray means for distributing water in said chamber for washing dishes or the like, said cabinet having a first access opening in the front wall thereof, a front main door pivotally hinged adjacent its lower edge to said cabinet for closing said first opening, said first opening defined in part by a vertical main door jamb, said cabinet having a second access opening subtending a front portion of said top wall of said cabinet, a top auxiliary door pivotally hinged adjacent its rear edge to said cabinet for closing said second access opening, a common horizontal mullion positioned along the line of juncture between the upper peripheral edge of said main door and the front peripheral edge of said auxiliary door, the front face of said common mullion forming the upper horizontal jamb for said front main door and the upper face of said mullion forming an outer horizontal jamb for said auxiliary top door, said second access opening having a U-shaped peripheral face cooperating with said mullion to define a rectangular horizontal auxiliary door jamb, latch means on said main door operative for engaging cooperative catch means on said auxiliary door whereby either door may be opened and closed in a sealed manner independentlY of the remaining door, means on said horizontal jamb for removably supporting an open top utensil wire basket thereon in a substantially horizontal manner at a level immediately below said auxiliary door and within said chamber so as to effect cleansing by said spray means of the utensils therein, the utensils supported in said basket with their handles projecting toward the common mullion whereby when the utensils are removed they will be grasped by the server at their handles to insure sterile handling of the utensils.
 3. The dishwasher structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary door undersurface has a dome-like surface including annular baffles located thereon to cause a portion of the spray means impinging thereon to be redirected downwardly onto the utensils in said basket.
 4. The dishwasher structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said basket is a wire basket whose base is inclined inwardly and downwardly toward the center of said chamber to position the utensils therein for proper washing action by said spray means. 